Victoria man denies indecency charges during trial

A Victoria man told jurors Wednesday about what role mental illness played in his indecency with a child case.

Robert Alex Douglas, 38, is charged with touching the genitalia of a child younger than 17 on Feb. 13, 2008, and July 2, 2012.

Douglas first denied any wrongdoing. He said he suffered from visions that occurred at random and featured children, ages 3 to 5, performing sexual acts.

He said through therapy he's realized what he was seeing in his mind was flashbacks of sexual abuse he witnessed in his youth.

"Every time, I would literally shake my head to get rid of them," he said, describing how they once appeared while he was changing the child's diaper.

Douglas said he then put his hands over his eyes and left the room.

Assistant District Attorney Eli Garza's questioned whether Douglas did that because he was aroused.

"You would agree that you can cover your eyes all you want, but if what you're seeing is in your head, it's still going to go on, right?" Garza asked.

Garza then wanted Douglas to explain what led to his suicide attempt the night of July 2, when the second count of indecency with a child allegedly occurred.

Then, police found Douglas choking himself with an elastic band in his backyard. Douglas didn't want to live and was repulsed when the victim kissed him while the two were sharing a bed that night, he said.

The defense throughout the day tried to cast doubt on the credibility of the allegations by asking Douglas to describe how a man who had been living with the victim was later found guilty of sexually assaulting her.

Douglas also added the victim had a history of being violent and lying whenever she did not get her way.

Garza and defense attorney Stephen Wood Byrne declined to comment after the testimony.